


Mixing Gods and Mortals 4 -- Realities

by Viola_Laterra



Series: Mixing Gods and Mortals [4]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Break Up Talk, During Canon, F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 09:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17547470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viola_Laterra/pseuds/Viola_Laterra
Summary: Thor returns after the conflict in Sokovia to tell Jane what has happened and what he plans to do next. Jane makes a hard decision.(takes place between Avengers: Age of Ultron and Thor: Ragnarok; written 25 January 2019)





	Mixing Gods and Mortals 4 -- Realities

It had been months since she'd heard from him. Then he'd been here for a week. Then the news of what had happened in Sokovia. Jane didn't know whether to be terrified or furious, but every time she heard it begin to rain, or heard even a single crash of thunder, she always felt that leap in her heart, that queasy excitement in her stomach.

But there was still no word. And the reality of her relationship with Thor began to sink in. So when he finally did show up on her doorstep, not with any thunder, lightning, or rain, but just a simple doorbell ring, though she felt the excitement, she also felt a sinking sensation. How long would he stay, this time, she wondered?

"Jane," he said, and stepped in, gathered her up in his arms, and held her for a long time before pulling away just far enough to kiss her deeply.

That was enough for her to dismiss the misgivings. The warmth of arousal, of comfort, of trust... they were more than enough to fill her mind. And in fact, the only thought she had was that she ought to shut and lock the door to the flat before she dragged him off to the bedroom.

So it wasn't until many hours later, when they were sitting at the little kitchen table, and she was explaining that she didn't really have any food because she hadn't been expecting him, that she remembered that she hadn't been expecting him.

She didn't have time to get upset about it though, because Thor said, "It is of no concern, Jane... we can... 'order in,' as you say?" Jane laughed; his attempts to use Midgardian idioms were always charming. 

"Sure," she said. She pulled out her cellphone and ordered the first thing she could think of -- Chinese food from the restaurant a block away. Not that Chinese food in London was particularly good, of course, but it was quick and easy and not *actually* gross. And they'd deliver, because they knew her.

That taken care of, she turned back to him, marveling again at how he just sat there, like a normal person. A normal, ridiculously attractive, unbelievably well-built person. But other than that, you wouldn't know, right off, that you were looking at a god.

Of course... that was true of the other Avengers, to some degree. When she watched footage of Captain America, it was hard to reconcile that with the one time she'd met him at SHIELD. In person, he'd seemed very normal -- down-to-earth, even. Even Natasha Romanov, other than being extremely attractive, didn't automatically read as "femme fatale," despite her Avenger nickname.

The thought of the Avengers sobered Jane a little. "Thor... just what happened, in Sokovia? I saw... I mean, the news said..."

Thor sighed and looked down. "It was Tony. He thought that we could use the Mind Stone to create an artificial intelligence that could help protect Earth from the struggles to come." Jane stared at him. Thor looked back up at her and added lamely, "It... didn't work out that way."

Jane found her voice and said, "You think?" Thor shook his head. "I know. At least some of it wasn't his fault... some of it was Wanda's manipulation. But she knows better now that she's joined us."

Now the disbelief was palpable in the room. "Wait, she's on the team now?" Thor nodded. He elaborated, "But, you see, her powers also came from the Mind Stone. Which is why it is a very good thing that Vision possesses it."

"Wait, who is Vision? And why is someone's name Vision?" Jane stood up, and unable to think of what to do with herself, started washing week-old dishes she had been forgetting to do.

Thor hesitated. Jane wasn't quite sure why. But then he said, "Vision is... a new life form. He was born out of Tony's work on Ultron, but also out of Jarvis," (Jane had heard of Jarvis) "And..." That hesitation again.

"What?" she said, finishing scrubbing a particularly nasty pot.

Thor looked at her hesitantly. "Promise me you won't be angry."

Jane turned to look at him. "Why would I be angry?"

Thor said, "Because... I came to Europe in the middle of the conflict, and Erik helped me with something I needed to do."

Jane did find herself becoming angry. "What?! And you didn't come to see me, or tell me what was going on?"

Thor said defensively, "It was very dangerous. I didn't want to risk that you would want to come with me." Jane made a wordless sound of anger. "And... besides, there was so little time... we were in extreme need of solutions to Ultron's evil plans."

Before Jane could object further, he pressed on. She just found herself drying the pots really thoroughly instead. Those things would shine, she thought, with how much frustration she was taking out on them. He'd been nearby, and hadn't come to see her? But he was talking. She tried to focus on what he was saying.

"...So, it was my vision, brought on by Wanda's abilities, that was the inspiration for the trip to the Water of Sight. And then when I brought the lightning back to Avengers Tower... and I vouched for him because of what I'd seen in my vision... "

Jane had grudgingly followed this part of the story. "I see. So he's called Vision."

Thor said pleadingly, "He could wield Mjolnir." That gave Jane pause, and during that pause, the doorbell rang again. Jane went to get it, and it was the Chinese food delivery person, so she handed them some cash and took the food, and came back to the kitchen. She thought she'd probably way overpaid, but her mind was so full of everything Thor was telling her that she just didn't care.

Never mind that he'd been here and hadn't checked with her. Never mind that she'd been feeling so despondent about him before he'd arrived tonight. There was a problem forming up in her mind, based on what Thor was telling her. The Aether had been an Infinity Stone. She knew firsthand how powerful it was -- beyond the power of the Asgardians, which was already pretty unimaginable. If the Mind Stone was just as powerful... 

"Thor, how many Infinity Stones are there, again?"

He looked at her for a moment, and then took the food from her and began to pull the containers out and set them on the table. She wordlessly went to get plates and forks from the cabinet. As she sat down across from him and began to serve herself, he said, "Six. There are six Infinity Stones."

She said, "Doesn't it seem like something you Asgardians should know about... where they are... who has them... y'know?" She gestured with her fork indistinctly and ate a bite of fried rice. She made a face -- their fried rice was always a bit too oily, but oh well. "You know, as protectors of the Universe, and everything?"

Thor sighed and served himself. He began eating, and it looked as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, the way he shoveled the food down. Through a mouthful of sesame chicken, he said, "You're right, of course, Jane. We should know."

They ate in silence for a while. Eventually, Thor said, "Jane."

"What?" she said, mouth full of rice and string beans. 

He sighed. He seemed so sad -- what was it he wanted to say? Jane suddenly got a bad feeling about it and swallowed her bite of food, not tasting it. It sat like a lump in her throat. She stood, went to the sink for a glass of water, and tried to gulp it all down.

He was watching her like he was trying to memorize her. Suspicious, and with a growing feeling of dread, she said again, "What? What is it, Thor?"

He sighed again. Finally he said, "I have already been thinking... That I ought to go looking for the other stones, to make sure they are safe."

At first Jane didn't see what the problem was. "That seems like a good idea to me," she said. "Surely you and your father can do something to keep anyone from misusing them." She was thinking of the Destroyer. Thor had told her it was used to guard the royal vault in Asgard, before Loki had sent it to Earth to try to end him.

Thor nodded sadly. What was wrong? Eventually, he said, "Jane... If I go to do this, to search for the Stones... I may be gone for a long time."

Suddenly the enormity of it hit her. Her logical mind worked it out -- of course, if they're hidden throughout the Universe, it wouldn't be easy to find them. Of course, it was important for him to look for them. Of course, he'd face who knows what kinds of dangers. He can't possibly predict when he'll come back... or... she tried to stop that thought, but her mind continued inexorably: or, whether he'd come back at all. What accompanied these thoughts was a crushing feeling of despair.

All she said, though, was: "Oh."

Thor looked at her warily. How could he know that she was wrestling with an increasingly inevitable conclusion? But somehow he seemed to.

She finally managed to marshal her thoughts and feelings enough to speak them aloud. "Thor. I don't think I can do this anymore."

He looked down. Were those tears he was hiding? She found tears leaking out of her own eyes. She wiped them away impatiently with the back of her hand. "I can't wait for you all the time. I... I love you, but..."

Thor raised a hand. He said, "I told you that you could be free at any time." He stood, clumsily bumping into the table as he did. The container of fried rice fell over and what was left of it scattered across the table. He made as if to try to clean it up, but Jane said, "Leave it. Leave it, Thor." She stood, too.

Now neither of them seemed to know what to say. Eventually she forced herself to meet his eyes. "Thor... I... I love you. And... I wish you luck in finding the Stones. I feel better about the Universe, knowing you're out there protecting it. And... it's time for me to get on with my life."

Thor took a deep breath. He reached across to touch her face, briefly. She felt her resolve starting to break, but before she could break down and take it all back, he said to her, "Jane Foster. I love you more than you can know. And I wish you all the best in getting on with your life." And with that, he stepped back, bowed regally to her, turned away, and walked out of her flat, and out of her life.

Jane was left utterly numb. Her logical mind told her this had been the right decision. But that didn't help with the hollowness she felt. She mechanically finished cleaning up the food, and brushed her teeth and got into bed. It wasn't until she had turned out the lights and curled up in the bed that she began to cry. Maybe it was the smell of him on the sheets... but it was hard, in that moment, not to feel like she'd let go of something that was irreplaceable. Her logical mind told her that this was how it always felt, breaking up with someone, god or no. Her logical mind told her that this would heal, in time. But she cried herself to sleep, just the same.


End file.
